#exhibit updates

Turning the Tide: The Story of Monterey Bay Performed in and around our Great Tide Pool, our new deck show tells the stories of the people who immigrated to Monterey to harvest our bay's abundant waters. See fishermen in boats catch squid and flatfish, and divers capture abalone. Live actors and a multimedia presentation on the deck complement the action on the water, sharing details of this rich and interesting story. See the show every day at 11:15, 1:00 and 3:45 pm on our ocean-view decks!

Going fishing? The warty frogfish uses its own lure to attract and gulp down unsuspecting prey. Blending into the bumps and lumps of the coral reef, the warty frogfish lies in wait for its meal. Once settled, it extends its own fishing lure--a modified spine that looks like a small shrimp--and waves it around to attract curious fish. As they venture close, the frogfish sucks in its unsuspecting prey with a large gulp that’s one of the fastest bites in the animal kingdom; in one frogfish species it’s as fast as six milliseconds. Learn more about this tiny tough fish

Googly eyes make this shrimp a fearsome hunter With claws that crack clam shells, the peacock mantis shrimp has a well-deserved reputation for muscling its way through coral reefs. But it's the eyes that make this tiny beast an unbelievably effective hunter. Moving each eye independently, its vision is so sensitive that a mantis shrimp can see both infrared and ultraviolet light. Watch a video of our mantis shrimp

Take a look into the life of a big skate! Our aquarists have carefully inserted a window into a big skate egg case, where you can see two live, viable embryos. These shark relatives can grow up to eight feet long! Learn more (Photo: Charlene Boarts)

Ever eaten a meal upside-down? That's just standard practice for our pelagic stingrays! Listen to our latest podcast to hear some of our tricks for keeping these hungry animals well fed.

Under the right light, these jellies radiate a bright green glow. Scientists aren't sure what makes them fluoresce in the wild--one guess is the light from a full moon! Learn more about elegant jellies

Eight arms, hundreds of disguises. The mimic octopus shifts shape and color to imitate more intimidating animals--fanning arms out like a lethal lionfish or slithering like a sea snake. Meet this mimicry master in our Tentacles exhibit

Drift and pulse, sway and sting! Get into a gelatinous state of mind with our live Jelly Cam. Watch now